Nelson comments on illegal immigration problem

Fremont residents will head back to the polls in June to decide whether to ban renting to or hiring illegal immigrants. Senator Ben Nelson commented today on this local issue saying many feel that immigration reform should be an issue for the federal government to tackle. However, since that hasn’t been done, it is understandable that local governments take the bull by the horns.

“I have some empathy with local folks trying to deal with the issue. Not necessarily trusting what is being done in Washington to solve illegal immigration. The Amnesty law that was passed beck in 1984 there was a promise to upgrade border security. It didn’t happen so the numbers multiplied rapidly over the last 30 years.”

Senator Nelson also hopes that voters in Fremont take the responsible approach to this issue.

“I just hope we don’t do anything in a knee-jerk fashion. On the one hand, on the other hand, there is no doubt the federal government is going to take care of this or other issues, local folks are absolutely going to do that.”

Senator Nelson uses the recent immigration laws passed in Arizona as an example of local government taking control of an issue that has not been properly addressed in Washington.

“In terms of their own internal security. Their economic security. When you have the equivalent of a war on both sides of the border in Arizona, it is understandable that people are very, very concerned and understandable that extreme measures are taken and that is what has happened.”
Senator Nelson still supports increased border security.